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Wildlife, Sustainability & Spanish in Latin America

EF Study Abroad CSU semester program
A Pan-American exploration of identity, expression and our sustainable future.

12 CREDITS | 14 WEEKS

Craft your story about the impact that you want to make on the world while exploring the cultures, ecosystems, and diverse landscapes of Costa Rica and Baja California, Mexico. Develop your Spanish language skills, gain fundamental skills in ecological fieldwork, and explore sustainable development as you learn from professors at Colorado State University and the United Nations-chartered University for Peace. The world will also be your classroom as you embark on service-learning projects and fieldwork with local communities, nonprofits, and businesses. After the program, you can choose to continue to Colorado State with the opportunity to join CSU Honors Program, or you can take your transferable college credit with you on the next step of your academic journey. 

Upcoming travel dates:
Aug. 17 – Nov. 22, 2025

Program components

Coursework

Jumpstart your journey with an immersive Spanish language course at our EF Language Campus in Tamarindo, Costa Rica. After being placed in the class that aligns with your skill levels, dive into coursework alongside learners from around the world and continue honing your language skills both in and out of the classroom. 

This course will leverage the places you visit to introduce ecological fieldwork within the biological sciences through exposure to biodiversity, global culture, and field research. Skills and tools for conducting fieldwork and communicating findings are explored in the context of a social-ecological framework that helps students understand the relationship between society and the environment. 

This course explores personal narratives as a tool to reflect upon the origin and ongoing development of your values, goals, and identities during your Education Abroad, and their impact on your academic and personal choices. We will investigate a variety of personal narratives from various cultures, creative nonfiction, and memoirs, as well as visual and oral narratives. You will explore how your story fits within potential programs of study at the university and beyond.  

This course includes an introduction to the Circular Economy concept. It provides an array of case examples, a solid framework, and guiding principles for implementing it. Ultimately, the Circular Economy is about the optimization of entire processes and systems rather than single components. The transition towards a circular economy is one of the biggest challenges we face to create a more sustainable society. This transition requires an interdisciplinary approach, combining socio-technical, managerial, and environmental considerations. 

Immerse yourself in Costa Rica’s local wildlife and ecological conservation efforts, gain sustainable living insights, and engage with local communities through community-development nonprofits. 

Program Itinerary

Note: This itinerary is subject to change due to availability and local conditions at the time of departure.

COSTA RICA

9 Weeks

EF Study Abroad CSU semester program

Program orientation

7 DAYS

SAN JOSÉ, COSTA RICA

Your semester starts in San Jose, Costa Rica where you’ll participate in orientation activities to help build your toolkit for understanding the other cultures you’ll be experiencing. 

Pool and palm trees in Costa Rica on a EF study abroad program

Spanish language

21 DAYS

TAMARINDO, COSTA RICA

Travel to the EF Campus on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica to immerse yourself in a 3-week intensive Spanish course. You’ll be placed in a language course appropriate to your skill level and will take classes with students from around the world. In your spare time, enjoy the stunning beaches of Tamarindo. 

EF Study abroad semester

Sustainable development & the circular economy

19 DAYS

SAN JOSÉ, COSTA RICA

Travel to Costa Rica’s Central Valley to study at the UN-chartered University for Peace, an international institution training the leaders of tomorrow to build a sustainable, peaceful, and equitable future for all. Your course at the University for Peace will focus on Sustainable Development and the Circular Economy and will include co-curricular field visits to places like sustainable small businesses, and industrial recycling facilities to bring your experience to life. 

Wildlife & conservation in Costa Rica

16 DAYS

CENTRAL VALLEY AND OSA PENINSULA, COSTA RICA

Dive into your Introduction to International Fieldwork course as you travel throughout Costa Rica’s Central Valley and Osa Peninsula, immersing yourself in a wide range of wildlife and ecological conservation projects at each stop. Work on projects that support sea turtle conservation and mangrove reforestation as you learn the best practices of international fieldwork. 

MEXICO

5 Weeks

EF Study abroad semester in Mexico

Our sustainable future

35 DAYS

CSU TODOS SANTOS, BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO

After traveling throughout Costa Rica, settle in for your final few weeks of the program at CSU’s Todos Santos center in Baja California, Mexico, where you’ll wrap up your coursework and reflect on all the experiences you’ve had along your journey. Along with your cohort, you’ll get to experience life in this beautiful small town, while getting to know some of the people and families who have been there for generations, making it what it is today. You’ll end the program with a greater sense of who you are, the opportunities to create a sustainable future, and the role you want to play in building it.

What's included

Tuition for this 14-week program is $24,950 and payment plans are available. The 12 credits offered will be provided by Colorado State University, our School of Record. Tuition includes: 

  • On-program transportation
    Internal flights and local transfers to each stop in your itinerary are included. You will be responsible for arranging your own flights to San Jose, Costa Rica at the start of the program and your own flights home from Cabo San Lucas, Mexico at the end of the program. 

  • EF Global Support Network
    In addition to one-on-one mentorship and support before and during your program, you will have access to our global network of staff and partners that work round-the-clock to coordinate care and responses for students in crisis. 

  • Guided learning
    Enjoy full-time, on-the-ground support from an EF Student Life Coordinator with additional support from the EF Language Campus staff, your EF Field Director, and your EF Program Director. 

  • Lodging and amenities
    Live in shared student accommodations at the EF campus in Tamarindo, Costa Rica and at the CSU Todos Santos Center, and stay in shared hotels during overnight excursions. 

  • Tuition & coursework
    Your pre-selected coursework from both Colorado State University and the University for Peace. 

  • Field Excursions
    Enjoy group field excursions and hands-on workshops with local experts. 

Top Curve

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